Falling In
by Snickety Lemon
Summary: After a strange dream and a captivating stare, Soul tries to understand the complex emotions that drown him. SoulxKid, WARNING: YAOI, LEMON
1. Praeludium

**Falling In**

**Praeludium**

Soul looked around the empty room, surrounded by nothing but flowing black curtains. The darkness was creeping in on him, slowly edging its way towards Soul who stood motionless in the middle of the room.

_I want to move, but I can't! I can't break free! Something's got me!_

Soul struggled to move his body, but found that he was paralyzed with fear. Never before in his life had he felt such fear. He was all alone, and no one was around to save him. He was helpless and hopeless, and as he began to close his eyes and give in to this feeling of despair, he heard a voice calling him from somewhere outside of the room.

"_Soul! Soul, where are you!"_

It was a male voice, but Soul couldn't place it. It wasn't a voice he was familiar with at all; in fact, it sounded like a new voice, or at least one that he hadn't yet grown accustomed to. He struggled to move, and slowly, he felt the pressure holding his body in place begin to recede. He flexed his arms, and then his torso began to shift, until finally he was able to lift his foot off the ground and take a step forward.

_Someone is here! I don't know who it is, but they are calling for me! They must be here to save me!_

The darkness in the room began to falter as Soul felt his fears leaving him. His body began to move faster and faster as he ran towards the voice until finally he reached the edge of the room and plunged through the curtains.

Soul was at the beach, surrounded by sand and water, the wind blowing calmly as the sun sank below the horizon.

"Soul, where are you?" the voice called again, this time much clearer than before.

"I'm over here!" he cried, running towards where he thought the voice was coming from. The room with the curtains had disappeared, and he begun to wander around the beach, looking for whoever was calling his name. Every time he heard his name, he felt a sense of peace and warmth wash over him. It was like no other serenity he had ever felt, and every time he heard that voice call him, he wanted more and more to be with whoever it was. The voice was captivating; the peace, invigorating. He wished to bask in the warmth of the voice, and began to shed his clothes. When he had removed all of his clothes, he heard a deafening scream.

"_SOUL!"_

He ran towards where the voice had come from, and as he approached, he could see the silhouette of a body lying on the sand, the waves gently crashing around it. He ran towards it and dropped to his knees.

It was Kid.

Soul was in shock, not knowing what to do. He looked down at Kid, whose body lie motionless on the sand.

"Kid…Kid? What's wrong? Wake up! Please, wake up!" Soul cried, shaking Kid's shoulders.

Kid slowly opened his eyes—they were bloodshot; apparently he had been crying. He looked at Soul, and then smiled and whispered, "I thought I had lost you. You didn't come when I called you."

"I tried, but I couldn't find you. But now, I have. I'm here, Kid. I'm here."

Kid smiled and pulled Soul down onto the sand with him, embracing him and kissing him passionately, sliding his hands along Soul's naked frame, causing the young weapon to shake, sigh, and moan. He didn't understand what was happening, but it didn't take long to figure everything out.

"You called me, Kid," Soul said, breaking the kiss and looking down at the young Reaper. "Your voice made me so happy. Why? Why did it do that?"

"That's easy, Soul. It's because you love me."

Soul shot up in bed, panting heavily. He looked at the clock on his nightstand: four thirty-five A.M. He was sweating profusely, and removed his covers, only to notice a wet spot on his boxers.

"Did I..._What?_" he said, realizing that he had had his first wet dream. "But I dreamt about Kid? There's no way that _this_ could've happened." He got out of bed and changed his boxers, throwing the soiled pair into the pile of dirty laundry next to his closet. He climbed back into bed and wrapped himself in his covers, trying to figure out what had happened. Today was the first time he had ever met Death the Kid. He and Black Star had fought him and, unfortunately, lost.

_But why would I have that kind of dream about him? I just met him! And…I'm not gay…am I? No, there is no way. I've never had a gay thought before in my life. But…then again…have I ever had a straight thought in my life? I mean, I've acted like I like girls, but that's only because it's what cool guys do, right? I mean, that's what I'm supposed to be like, right? _

He thought again about Kid and the dream, imagining the strange sensation that had come over him when he heard Kid's voice in his dream. It was the most surreal thing he had ever felt, and he had actually enjoyed it.

_But, I shouldn't have enjoyed it… I mean, it's not right…two men aren't supposed to love each other like that, right? ...I wish this wasn't so damn complicated to understand; it's so uncool. And why now, of all times?_

Soul sat up in bed and looked at his desk. On it, he noticed the leather journal that Maka had bought him not too long ago. He walked over and turned on his lamp, sat down, grabbed a pen, and opened it, and—for the first time since he could remember—began to write.

_Tuesday,_

_I've never felt like this before in my life. It was a strange dream, and that should be it. I just got my ass kicked by this guy, so I can imagine that my brain is sorting through the feelings I have for him and, for some reason, this is what happened. I got that strange dream. And for some reason…it was a wet one…which could easily be explained by the fact that my dream was centered on intense pleasure. So, I guess the thing to do is not dwell on this, because if I do, then for sure I'm going to get caught up in something that I shouldn't. And if this should continue? Well…_

Soul stopped writing, not sure what to say. He actually didn't know what to do if something like this were to continue.

_I guess I'll just deal with it in the coolest way possible._

He finished writing and stared at the page, still unsure about what was happening.

"I'm sure tomorrow I'll be back to normal. It's just been an off day for me."

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, Kid was lying in his bed, staring up at the dark ceiling, thinking about his encounter with Soul.<p>

_His hair is disgustingly asymmetrical, his red eyes are frightening, and his teeth make him look like he could be some sort of demon. He's rude, and he destroyed the symmetry in my hair! But… I still can't help but feel captivated by this young man. His appearance, no matter how asymmetrical, attracts me nonetheless, and his attitude appears to be a façade; his real self must be hiding somewhere underneath all of those layers. Perhaps he just needs someone to peel them back and expose him for who he really is. But, I think the most entrancing thing about him is his glowing red eyes; at least, that's what I thought when I first saw them. But when I was able to get a good look at them, I felt something that I hadn't felt in a long time: peace. Warmth was pouring from his body whenever he got near me. And I knew that I was the only one who could feel it. It was something that I had never felt before in my life, and when I did, I knew what it meant. I am destined to be his. He will be my friend, and when I am Grim Reaper, he will be my Death Scythe. And who knows, perhaps he may even be something more than a friend?_

Kid smiled up at the ceiling, massaging his forehead, thinking hard about Soul. Kid knew that he liked men, and he had for a while now, but never before had he felt such unexplainable attraction to someone. Kid gripped his pillow, nuzzling into it as if it were a person. "Soul," he whispered.

_It was love at first sight; it had to be. I can only wonder what Soul is thinking about all of this. But I know it to be true, I felt the connection. It has to be there! It just… has to be there._

Kid had fallen in, and there was no chance of getting out.


	2. The First Movement: Allegro

**Falling In**

**First Movement**

**Allegro**

_Thursday,_

_What does it all mean? These strange emotions that are caged inside of me? I've never felt anything like this before in my entire life, and now, all of the sudden, the floodgates are open. Every time I see him, my heart stops beating, my lungs stop breathing, and I lose myself. I've never felt these emotions before, but all of the sudden, here they are, and I don't know what to do. I feel so helpless, but perhaps someday I'll be able to make sense of it all and finally be happy. _

_But still, I'm so nervous. I've never had to do anything like this before. What if I mess up? I've never had to deal with heartache ever since I sealed off my heart from the world. But now, with just one simple look and a dream I won't ever forget, the box I hid my heart in has been torn open, all because of him and those damned eyes. I fell into them, and drowned, and when I woke up, I was terrified and nervous and excited and joyful all at the same time. All because of him and that warmth he gave me._

Soul put down his pen and read through his latest entry, then closed the leather cover of his journal. It was the sixth time this week that he had felt the urge to use the gift he had received from his Meister. Ever since his first encounter with Kid, he had been trying to sort through random emotions that surfaced from time to time, but it wasn't much use. He couldn't figure out why he felt the way he did. He looked at his clock: seven thirty: time to head out. He slipped on his shoes and headed downstairs, grabbing his coat and sliding it on.

"Ready, Soul?" Maka asked as she walked over to him, grabbing her books that she had set on the table.

"Yeah, let's go," he said groggily, opening the door and heading outside.

Soul blearily trailed Maka—who seemed far too happy for a Monday, from Soul's perspective—as they made their way to class. They went in and took their seats, waiting for Professor Stein to glide in and begin dissecting.

Maka glanced over to Tsubaki, and saw that Black Star was, once again, absent. "Hey, Tsubaki, is he...?"

"In another fight? Yes..." She sighed, lowering her head. "But you know Black Star," she smiled nervously, giving a soft chuckle.

Soul snickered, and then glanced over at the door to see Kid and the Thompson sisters walking in. Soul looked down at Kid and their eyes met for just a second.

_His eyes...they're...beautiful... Wait... What did I just say? Why does this always happen every time I see him? _

Soul forced himself to look away, even though part of him didn't want to. Inside of his gut, he felt that same sensation every time his eyes met Kid's; a sensation that half made him want to cry, and half made him want to puke. He couldn't explain it, and so, he ignored it as the young Reaper took his seat next to him.

"So, how is everyone doing today?" Kid asked, smiling at his friends.

"Well, aren't you chipper," Soul growled, putting his head down on his desk.

"Oh, ignore him, Kid, he's always an ass on Mondays," Maka said, smacking him upside the head with her book.

Kid looked at Soul, who was busy nursing his battered head, and then at Maka, who was laughing at him. Jealousy was the first word to come to Kid's mind, but he quickly ignored it.

"So, have you guys prepared for the Super Written Exam?" Kid asked, once Soul and his partner had regained themselves.

"You bet I have, I'm ready for this exam," Maka said, glaring down at Ox, who was busy glaring back at her.

"And you, Soul?"

"Me? I've got it covered, don't you worry about it."

* * *

><p>Friday.<p>

"Are you sure this is everything you have?" Sid asked, holding Soul's clothes that were covered with cheats for the Super Written Exam.

"Why, do you want to take my underwear, too?" he exclaimed, too embarrassed to look up at his fellow classmates.

_Well, this is embarrassing...I hope Kid doesn't see me..._He stopped himself, mid-thought, not wanting to know where it was going. He got up and made his way back to his seat, and sat down, picking up his pencil and staring the jumble of characters before him. _I have no idea what the hell to do. _

All the while, Kid was keeping one eye on his paper, and the other on Soul and his nearly-nude physique. He couldn't help but stare, and for a few moments, didn't even care if anyone noticed he was staring, even Soul himself; but, when he remembered that this nearly-nude teen was on his way to sit _next to him_, Kid knew he had to snap out of it. He went back to focusing on his name, and that damn "k".

But that, of course, was of no use.

Kid would occasionally shoot glances towards Soul when he wasn't looking, especially when he leaned over to watch Patty construct her "masterpiece." Kid went back to his test, again trying to get the "k" right, but he failed, erasing it again, only to have the paper rip. But not only did it rip, it ripped _asymmetrically. _

In a moment, Kid was out cold on the floor, and Soul leaned over to see what all the commotion was about.

"Huh...? Hey Sid, Kid just collapsed."

"Leave him," he replied.

Soul studied the boy passed out on the floor, wishing, in the back of his mind, that his eyes would open so he could gaze into them. Unbeknownst to Soul, however, Kid's eyes were opened and looking up at Soul's strong body, and wandering down to his blue boxers. If Kid was going to fail this exam due to an asymmetrical "k", then, by all means, he was going to at least enjoy it.

Kid could tell that Soul's face expressed some concern and another emotion that Kid couldn't place.

"You have ten seconds!" Sid shouted.

And with that, the exam was over. The students all turned in their papers and left the classroom, eager to get out after being trapped with the test. Soul turned in his papers and got his clothes from Sid, then looked back up to his seat.

_Hmmm, Kid still hasn't moved. Perhaps I should go check on him and make sure he's okay. _

Soul made his way back to where Kid was still lying motionless on the ground.

"Hey, Kid." Soul said. "Kid," he repeated, tapping him with his foot. Soul set his clothes down on the desk and squatted down next to Kid. "Kid?" No response. Soul placed his hand on the side of Kid's face, trying to wake him.

_I can feel his hand on my face...it's so warm and tender and soft..._

Soul gave Kid a hard smack on the face, and with that he jumped up.

"What the hell was that for, ass?" Kid exclaimed, jumping to his feet.

"Yeah, glad you're okay," Soul said, standing up. He reached for his clothes and began to slide them back on. Soul's wild emotions had been with him ever since he had first met Kid and looked into his golden eyes, and after so many encounters with the young Meister, Soul was a master at keeping his cool, even when he was almost completely naked in front of him.

Kid rubbed his face, trying to hide the tinge of pink that flushed through his face. He looked up at Soul, who was adjusting his boxers underneath his pants. "Well, uh… Did you do well on the exam?" Kid asked, stupidly.

"Ha, weren't you paying attention to what happened?" Soul joked.

_Of course I was…_

"I only answered a few of them, but I don't really care. I'm not the one turning anyone else into a death scythe. I know Maka got a perfect score," he said, looking down at Maka and his friends who were leaving.

"Soul, Kid, c'mon!" she yelled up at them, waving.

"We better go," Soul said, reaching down to help Kid up, who again blushed at the sensation of Soul's warm hands on his body.

"Thank you, Soul," he said blankly, following his friend down the stairs.

_Was it just me or was Kid…blushing? _Soul thought to himself as he and his friend walked to catch up with the group. They met up with them outside of the classroom. "So, the exam's over, what are we gonna do now? It is Friday," Soul said, putting his arms behind his head and grinning.

"Well, Liz, Patty, Tsubaki and I were going to have a spa night over at our place," Maka said, smiling. "You can join us if you like!"

"I'll have to pass on that one. Black Star, what about you?"

"The Great Black Star has no time for playing! I must surpass God!" he yelled, pointing towards the sky. "So, I'll be training."

Soul sighed, throwing his hands down, "It's Friday and no one wants to hang out? That's so uncool."

"Ahem," Kid said, getting Soul's attention. "As appealing as that spa night sounds, I can hang out with you."

_His eyes…he's caught me..._

Soul quickly regained his composure. "Way to come to the rescue, Kid."

"Well, I guess I'll see you later on tonight then, Soul," Maka said, heading off with the girls, "That is unless you two decide on having a slumber party or something," she said, grinning evilly.

Soul glared at his Meister, then turned away, hoping to hide his slightly flushed face.

"Guess that settles it, see you guys tomorrow then, YAHOO!" Black Star yelled, running off to train.

"Well, Soul, what do you want to do?" Kid asked, walking up beside Soul. "If you don't have any ideas, I know of somewhere we can go."

"Wherever you wanna go, I'm game," Soul said, walking with Kid to the front entrance of the school.

"Well, then, how about some lunch?"

"Sure, I'd love to." Soul said, smiling.

Kid's heart leapt in his chest. _Yes, a date! Sort of..._

"So long as you're paying of course," he grinned.

"Oh, well, sure. I don't mind." Kid replied. Soul smiled at him and patted his shoulder, his red eyes radiating some type of majestic warmth that only Kid could feel.

* * *

><p>"That was great, Kid. How did you even know this place existed?" Soul asked, patting his stomach as he leaned back after a fulfilling meal.<p>

"Well, when your father can see everything in the city, you find some interesting sites," Kid said, drinking the last of his soda before gazing up at a very content Soul.

"Well, what do you want to do now?"

Kid shrugged his shoulders, not sure what to say. He desperately wanted to find a way to keep Soul around. "Well, I have some video games back at my mansion, if you want to play," Kid said, leaving the money on the table as the two got up to go.

"No way, you play video games?" Soul asked in disbelief.

"Yeah, sometimes," Kid said, smiling.

Soul put his arm around Kid, "Kid, you do know that you just got a thousand times cooler, right?" he said, smiling his big, toothy grin.

Kid smiled and blushed, and the two made their way back to Kid's mansion.

* * *

><p>"I don't believe it, Maka, you're lying." Liz said, painting her nails as the girls sat in a circle in Maka's living room.<p>

"Believe it, Liz. C'mon, how could you guys not have noticed?" Maka replied.

"I mean, it does kind of make sense. It would explain some of Soul's behavior, but what makes you so positive?" Tsubaki asked.

"Well, living with Soul, you get a few perks. You get his irrational attitude, his messy habits, and," she grinned, "his diary."

"No _way! _Soul keeps a diary? How adorable is that?" Liz said, squealing. "What's it say, _what's it say!" _

Maka grinned, "I got it for him a while ago, but I only noticed him starting to use it recently. And so about a week ago, I decided to take a look at what he had been writing. It spills everything."

"Lemme see!" Liz said, folding her hands and begging Maka, "_Please!_"

"I'm not just going to let you see his _personal _diary," Maka replied.

"_But you already snooped in it yourself!" _

"Yeah, but trust me, it's only about one thing: Kid. You won't find anything but him blathering on about Kid in there."

* * *

><p>"Damn controller!" Kid yelled as he lost another round against his friend.<p>

"Of course, blame the controller," Soul said grinning. "And here I thought you were actually some kind of hardcore gamer."

"It's not my fault the controllers aren't symmetrical. If they were," he glanced over at Soul with a sly grin, "you'd be a goner by now!"

"Ha, is that so?" Soul asked, grinning back. "Well, why don't we nix the controllers and settle this for _real, _then?"

Kid put down his controller, "What do you mean?"

"I mean, like this!" Soul said, jumping towards Kid and tackling him onto the floor.

Soul pulled Kid off of the couch and onto the floor, pinning him down. Kid tried to break free, but Soul was too strong. With a quick jerk, he managed to roll over onto his side, but Soul quickly pushed him down, causing the young Reaper to sigh softly as Soul's strong hands slid over his body, grabbing him and flipping him onto his back. Soul grabbed the young Reaper's wrists, holding him down.

"You gonna give up yet?" Soul asked, smirking devilishly.

"Never," was his reply: Kid pushed his knees into Soul's stomach with just enough force to push him off. But just when Kid had regained the upper hand, the two had once again switched positions, neither one able to overcome the other.

The two romped around on the floor, one trying to get an edge over the other, but neither one really wanted to win; they just wanted to prolong the wrestling, which soon ended as neither would admit defeat nor claim victory.

"Tie," they both said simultaneously, reaching to shake each other's hand; but, when Soul grabbed hold of Kid's hand, he pulled him over and pinned him onto his lap, grabbing his arms and hold him still.

"Ha, I win!" Soul said triumphantly, looking down at Kid, who grinned and nodded.

_I could beat Soul hands down in any fight; but right now, I don't mind losing._

"Fine, you win," he said as Soul released his grip. Kid, after hesitating a moment, sat up and took his place next to Soul, who had hoisted himself up onto the couch.

"Well, now that we've settled that, what do you want to do?"

"Hmm, how about a movie? I've got plenty, so you can pick one out," Kid said, pointing to the shelves underneath the T.V. Soul nodded and got up, looking through the DVDs, until finally he came across one that he had to watch.

"No way, you've got the new _Blue_! Awesome! Let's watch this one!" Soul said, handing Kid the DVD. "I'm going to run to the bathroom real quick, so set it up and wait for me, okay?"

Kid nodded, taking the case and standing up. Soul walked out of the living room and turned down the hallway. "Other way, Soul," Kid shouted.

"Yeah, I knew that," he said, walking past in the other direction. Kid smiled and laughed to himself, putting in the disc. He ran to the kitchen and grabbed a couple of drinks and some snacks, then went back and set them on the coffee table in front of his sofa.

_This evening is going very well; I never knew that someone like Soul could be so…intimate; if you could call wrestling intimate, I guess. Perhaps I will finally muster up the courage to talk to him tonight?_

Soul walked in and sat down next to Kid on the couch, "All right, let's get this started!"

Kid smiled, pressing the play button on the remote. _We shall see..._

* * *

><p>"I wonder what Soul and Kid are up to," Maka said. "It's getting late, you think one of them would've called by now." She looked at the clock on the wall: midnight.<p>

"Ah, it's no big deal. Maybe they decided to have that slumber party after all!" Liz said, jokingly, getting a giggle out of her little sister.

It was then that Maka got a text message from Soul, and upon reading it, she let out a high pitched squeal. "That's _exactly _what they're doing! Look and see!" she said, holding up her phone so that the crowd of women could see.

_Staying over at kid's tonight, we're watching some movies, won't be done for a couple hours, c ya tomorrow._

"How _adorable!_" The girls screamed in unison, imagining all of what could happen at Kid's mansion tonight.

"Well, you know that Patty and I won't be able to head back until tomorrow, right? We don't want to disturb them," she said, grinning evilly. "We should have our own slumber party here, what do you say girls?" They all nodded, looking at Maka.

"If it means having Kid and Soul hook up tonight?" Maka said, pausing, "Absolutely!"

Maka typed out a response on her phone: _Ok, sounds good. We're having our own slumber party here _;)_ Tell Kid that Liz and Patty will be back tomorrow._

The girls shared one last group squeal before returning to their pampering.

"I just hope everything goes okay," Maka said, unsettling the mood. The others felt the gravity of the situation, and nodded.

* * *

><p>Soul was sucked into the movie—one that he had wanted to see for a while now—and sat sprawled out on the couch next to Kid, who was slowly beginning to nod off. The movie continued as the night deepened, until the clock in the hall struck two.<p>

_I'll just close my eyes and listen until the movie is done, _Kid thought; but as soon as he closed his eyes, sleep took hold of him. His body went limp, and he leaned over and fell directly into Soul's lap, who was startled by the sudden movement. He looked down at Kid, who was fast asleep. Soul stared at the young reaper. He relaxed his body, and let Kid sleep as he turned down the volume some and finished the movie.

The clock in the hallway let out two small chimes, noting the half hour. The final scene of the movie ended, and the credits began, accompanied by rock music. Kid opened his eyes slowly, and looked up at Soul, who was fiddling with the remote in the dark, trying to stop the movie. Kid reached up and grabbed the remote from Soul, chuckling, "It's this button," he said, stopping the film. Kid sat up, rubbing his shoulder. "Damn, my arm is numb," he said, looking at Soul. "Why didn't you wake me up? I didn't mean to fall on you."

"I didn't want to wake you up; and besides, you're really tired," Soul said, adjusting his stiff legs as he folded them and sat next to Kid, who reached over and flicked a switch, turning on the lamps on either side of the couch. "So, what now? Did you want to go to sleep?"

"I don't know; is there something else you wanted to do?"

Soul shrugged, "I'm not too tired yet." He looked at Kid, who was rubbing his eyes sleepily.

_How cute… _Soul thought, not even trying to ignore his feelings any longer. _I've finally figured it all out, now all I have to do is make it happen. _

"Hey, Kid, I'm going to go change real quick, I'll be right back," Soul said, getting up and grabbing his backpack and going to the bathroom.

Kid sat on the couch, staring at the blue screen of the T.V. _Now what? I've finally got him where I want him, and now I just have to make something happen. _Kid thought for a moment, _I've got it!_

Soul walked back in and laid his backpack down on the floor next to the couch. Kid looked at him and felt his face flushing. Soul was wearing a black tank top, outlining his physique, and loose black pajama pants adorned with bones and skulls. He had removed his headband, and his hair hung slightly in front of his face, with his red eyes still piercing out at him, still radiating warmth. "Hey, Soul," Kid said, trying to calm himself down and have his face return to normal, "will you play the piano for me?"

Soul was surprised, not expecting Kid to make that request. _How am I supposed to say no to him? _Soul smiled and nodded. Kid stood up and led him down the hallway to a room with a large, shining piano at the center. Soul walked over and sat down at the bench and opened the cover, revealing the gleaming white keys. He smiled and cracked his fingers, and began to play. Music filled the air, and drifted throughout the large house, reverberating off the walls. Kid marveled at Soul's playing, his fingers drifting effortlessly across the keys, producing, as if by magic, a melody that sent chills up Kid's spine while at the same time warming his heart. Kid watched as Soul brought down the tempo, his fingers pressing lighter and lighter on the keys until the song reached its soothing, peaceful end.

"Soul, that was absolutely beautiful. Did you write this?" Kid asked. Soul nodded, closing the cover over the keys gently. "What do you call it?"

"Promise you won't laugh when I tell you, okay?"

"Of course," Kid asked, confused.

"It's The Soul Song," he said, standing up, his cheeks a light pink.

"Oh, you named it after yourself?" Kid asked, trying not to smile.

"No," Soul said, turning towards Kid. "It's the song of my soul," he said. Kid looked at his friend, and then thought about it: The song was full of ups and downs, dramatic, even dark, melodies combined with light and happy ones. The song was complex, just like Soul, and full of confusion, pain, beauty, and peace.

"Wow, Soul…" Kid said, stepping towards his friend. Kid put his hand on Soul's shoulder, "Your soul is quite beautiful," he said, smiling into his friends warm eyes. And then, Kid saw something that he thought he would never see: a solitary tear rolled down Soul's face, dropping off of his chin. "Soul…" Kid said, sighing as he did. Soul leaned forward onto Kid's chest, and began to cry. Kid, wrapping his arms around Soul, pulled him in close, who responded by putting his arms around Kid and pulling himself deep into the young Reaper's clothes.

"I've never…played that song…for anyone," Soul said between silent sobs. "When I first wrote this song, it made me cry like this, and I vowed never to play again, but…how could I have said no to you?" Soul looked up at Kid, tears in his eyes, and embraced him, burying his face in the crook of Kid's neck. Soul cried for several minutes, letting out all of his pain and sorrow, all of his worry and doubt, until nothing remained, all the while wrapped in Kid's soothing hold. The two boys held each other the entire time, not moving. Kid pulled away first, holding Soul's shoulders and lifting him up.

"Soul, go wait for me in the living room, I'll be right there, okay?"

Soul was confused, but nodded and began to walk back to the living room, while Kid ran off to his room, grabbing the blankets and pillows and bringing them downstairs. He brought them into the living room and sat down on the couch, covering them both with the blanket.

"What are you doing, Kid?" Soul asked as Kid arranged the blankets and pillows on the couch.

"I want to talk to you, Soul. I want to know what's bothering you," Kid said, looking directly at Soul with a firm face and sitting down next to him. Soul looked surprised. "Soul, I know that you've been hiding something, I can see through that cool-guy act that you've kept up. Now," he said, putting his hand on Soul's knee, "I want you to tell me what's wrong."

Soul looked at him and sighed, sinking into the sofa. He took a deep breath and steadied himself, and then looked at Kid. "The truth is...I've felt so alone for so long. I mean, I have Maka at home, and you guys at school, but no matter how many times I'm with you all and remind myself that I'm not really alone, I can't help but feel that…it's a lie. I've always felt alone and…different." He paused, looking away. "Kid, can you keep a secret?"

Kid's heart was beating incredibly fast, "Of course, Soul."

"Good, because…I just want you to know that…I'm…gay," he said, sealing his eyes shut, not sure how Kid would react. He slowly opened his eyes and looked at Kid, whose face was somewhat in shock. "Look, please don't freak out, I mean…" Soul's voice was cut off when Kid put his arms around him.

"Why would I freak out?" Kid asked, squeezing Soul tighter, "I'm exactly the same. I just didn't expect you to actually tell me."

"You mean, you're gay, too?" Soul asked, grabbing Kid's shoulders and gently lifting him up.

Kid nodded. Soul brought Kid in and pulled him into his chest, hugging him tightly. "Kid, does this mean…"

"You're not alone anymore, Soul. I'm here. I'll always be here," Kid said, burying himself in the warmth of his friend. He felt a tear drop land on his head, and looked up to see Soul crying and smiling. Soul ran his hand over Kid's dark black hair, leaning back slowly on the pillows that Kid had brought down. He pulled Kid into a warm embrace one more, wrapping them in the blankets.

"Thank you, Kid. This is exactly what I needed." Soul lifted Kid up and kissed him passionately on the lips, as Kid ran his hand across Soul's face and down his side. The two pulled apart, gasping for air, and Kid collapsed into his lover. "I love you, Kid. I finally figured it out. And now I know that I love you."

Kid smiled and nuzzled into Soul's chest, "I love you, too, Soul."

* * *

><p>Soul's eyes slowly crept open, the surroundings becoming sharper and clearer.<p>

_Where am I?_

Suddenly, the events of last night flooded back to his mind. He smiled, and reached for Kid, who he assumed was still right next to him, but wasn't. He sat up and looked around, nervously.

"Kid?"

"I'm in the kitchen, Soul, calm down," Kid said jokingly. Soul got up and cracked his spine, stretching and groaning. Just then, Kid walked in with two steaming cups of coffee wearing a black t-shirt and boxers, making Soul blush. "It's not too sweet, and I have cream if you want it," he said, handing one of the cups to Soul.

"Thanks, Kid, this should be fine," he said, taking a sip of the piping hot beverage. "So, last night…really happened? It wasn't just a dream?"

Kid leaned over and kissed Soul lightly on the cheek, answering his question. "And I won't tell anyone about it, either, just like I promised," Kid said, sipping his drink slowly.

"Actually, I think we should come out together," Soul said, relaxed. Kid nearly choked on a mouthful of coffee. Soul turned towards him, "Something tells me that you don't think that would be a good idea."

"I don't know how my father will react. That's what I'm most worried about. I'm supposed to be his heir, the next Grim Reaper. Telling him I'm gay might spoil that," he said, looking at Soul. "But Soul," he continued, grasping his lover's hand, "I want everyone to know, so badly. I'm tired of hiding this. And I feel that, now that I have you—no, now that we have _each other, _we can be brave and tell everyone."

Soul pulled Kid in close, wrapping his free arm around the young Reaper, and pressed his lips against Kid's in a heated kiss. "No matter what everyone thinks, we'll still have each other," Soul whispered into his lover's ear.

Suddenly, they heard the front door fling open, and the sound of footsteps coming down the hallway.

"Quick; act natural!" Kid said, as the two composed themselves just as Liz, Patty, Tsubaki, and Maka came rushing in.

"Oh, hey everyone, what brings you all here so early in the morning?" Kid asked nervously.

"Early?" Liz said, checking her watch. "It's almost one in the afternoon."

Soul and Kid exchanged shocked glances, and then hesitantly looked back at the girls, who were all grinning evilly.

"You _did _it, didn't you?" Liz said, smirking perversely.

"_What! We did no such thing!_" Kid shouted, pulling at the blanket, and also making sure that the girls couldn't see that sometime in the middle of the night, he had removed his shorts and slept in his boxers, and never dressed himself when he woke up. "We just, uh, hung out. That was it; watched a movie, and played some games…" Soul threw his hand over Kid's mouth, hushing him, and drawing a strange look from his female audience.

"Why would we spoil our first date by rushing into sex, ladies? You all should know better than that," Soul said, grinning. He removed his hand from Kid's face, which had flushed a deep crimson. Soul put his arms around Kid and pulled him into his chest. "Surprise," he said, almost laughing; and with that, he pulled Kid in for a deep kiss, as if he was showing off to the rest of the group.

"Okay, we get it!" Liz said.

Kid's face was a bright red when Soul broke the kiss. He reached up to stroke the side of Soul's face, and then turned to look at the others. "Now that you know, please don't tell anyone yet. My father can't know."

"Hey, wait a minute, why are you guys here, anyway? Did you _know _about this?" Soul asked, sitting up and looking at them. The group nervously looked in different directions, trying to appear innocent.

"Ha, Maka read your diary! _Maka read Soul's diary, Maka read Soul's diary!_" Patty said, in a sing-song voice.

"You _what?_" Soul screamed, getting up off the sofa and clenching his fists.

"Hey, calm down, Soul, it's not like there was anything else important in there, anyway. I mean, all that's in there is, 'Dear diary,'" she said, trying to imitate Soul's voice, "'today I noticed for the first time how captivating Kid's eyes are, their deep, burning yellow calling to me, like some type of light,' and 'Dear diary, I feel like I could fall into his eyes and just drown myself and be reborn as someone new,'" she said, breaking out into a laugh. "What a romantic!"

"Why you!" Soul said, his face flushed. _I'm so embarrassed… She just had to say all of this right in front of Kid?_

Kid got up and wrapped his arms around Soul and kissed him lightly on the cheek, "That's so beautiful Soul; we should read it together."

Soul's face flushed even deeper as he put his arm behind his head. "I mean…if you want to…" This move silenced the laughing flock of females, and they all let out squeals of delight when the two kissed again.

"Hey, Kid…are you in your underwear?" Liz asked, pointing at his now exposed drawers.

Kid let out a short cry, pulling his shirt down as low as it would go. "Ah!" he yelled as he ran upstairs to get dressed.

Soul watched him and sighed, grabbing his bag and following him up the stairs and into Kid's bedroom. Kid was busy hunting for his signature suit when Soul walked in and closed the door gently. He sat his bag down on Kid's bed, and began to undress, slipping out of his shirt and pajama pants. He walked over to Kid and pulled off his shirt, making the young Reaper blush. The two smiled at each other and kissed, pulling their nearly-nude frames into one another. They broke the kiss and began to get dressed.

"Hey, Soul? This is going to sound weird, but can I borrow one of your shirts?"

Soul paused, "Well, I only brought two and my tank top. You can wear the one from yesterday if you want," he said, handing it to Kid, who, after a moment, took it and slid it on. "Why did you want to wear it?" Soul asked, buttoning his pants and sliding on his shirt.

Kid shrugged his shoulders, his face flushed. "I just…wanted to."

Soul smirked, "All right, whatever you want."

Kid ran over and tackled Soul onto the bed, wrapping his arms around his lover and kissing him passionately as they fell onto the bed. "I just can't get enough of you, that's why. You've been right under my nose, and now I finally have you. I just can't stand thinking about being apart from you, so I want to keep this, so I can have your warmth wrapped around me whenever I need it."

Soul smiled, and then started to laugh.

"Hey, why are you laughing Mr. 'I'm going to drown in Kid's eyes'?" Kid said, frustrated.

"No reason, it's just that that was the _gayest_ thing I've ever heard," Soul said, continuing to laugh. He put his hand on his lover's face and smiled, "Of course you can have that shirt. It's my favorite one, and I'd love for you to hold on to it." He pulled Kid into a headlock, laughing once more, and the two wrestled around a bit before gathering their things and heading back downstairs.

Kid and Soul stood hand in hand, Kid wearing Soul's shirt, as a roar of "Adorable!" and "How cute!" swept across their female audience. The two boys blushed a bright red.

Kid turned to Soul and whispered in his ear, "Things are finally looking up, Soul. You and I: we're no longer alone."


	3. The Second Movement: Crescendo

**Falling In**

**Second Movement**

**Crescendo**

Two months had passed since Soul and Kid's relationship had begun. The Kishin is gone, and Death City is once again back to its normal tempo after a grueling three-week reconstruction project. The two lovers had kept their relationship quiet, waiting until things had died down before they even thought about letting go of some of their fears to become more open. As time passed and word of their relationship began to spread, however, unsettling rumors began to fly.

"Hey, Kid, someone just told me that they heard that you and Soul have been having sex! Tell me that you didn't let something like that get out!" Liz said, running up to Kid in an empty hallway at the academy.

Kid was shocked, "What? We've done no such thing, honestly! Where are these rumors coming from?" Kid asked, turning to make sure no one was around to listen. "Look, Soul and I are almost ready, but if _these _kinds of rumors are floating around, it would only serve to make things that much more difficult."

"Well, what are you going to do?"

"I don't know yet, I'll need to talk to Soul about it. Thanks for letting me know this, Liz. If you learn anything more about these rumors, just let me know."

Liz nodded and went back to class. Kid was on his way to the Death Room, as he had been summoned by his father.

_He probably has some task he wants me to do, or maybe no one wanted to sit down to tea with him again… _Kid sighed, and walked into the Death Room. "You wanted to see me, Father?" He said as he walked in; but, when he saw who was in the Death Room with his father, he froze, his face going pale.

"Soul…" Kid said, regaining his composure as he walked towards his father. _This is why he hasn't been in class this morning. _Kid looked at Soul, and that was when he noticed the bruise on the side of his head. Soul gasped loudly, running over to his lover, "Soul, what happened to your head?"

Soul grunted when he felt Kid's tender hands land on his head, "Your father, that's what."

Kid turned towards his father, letting go of Soul. "Does he know?"

"Yeah, he's heard the rumors. He summoned me on my way to class this morning and made me tell him everything."

"Father…why did you hurt him?"

"To remind him of who I am, Kid. You're my son, and I am your father; but, I'm also the Grim Reaper, and when I heard of these rumors floating around school, I was furious. 'How could my Kiddo be in a relationship with another man?' I asked myself. It had to be a mistake. But no, your little Romeo here told me everything."

"But Father!" Kid yelled, stepping towards his dad, angry and frustrated.

"Wait, Kiddo, I'm not done," Lord Death said, sighing. "Yes, I was upset upon hearing that my son was dating another man, but then Soul made me realize something. Soul, why don't you tell him what you said?"

Soul turned towards Kid, his face a light pink, "Right before your dad was about to hit me, I told him that he could do whatever he wanted to me, but it didn't change the fact that I still loved you." Smiling, Kid walked back over to Soul and put his arms around him, much to the discomfort of his father.

"Yes, well…When I heard this, I realized that perhaps my fears were bit unnecessary."

"What fears?" Kid asked, turning towards his father.

"You see, Kid, as with any parent, I am hesitant about giving you up and letting you go out on your own; and, indeed, with you—the next Grim Reaper—I have to be sure that whoever you find as a partner is worthy. When Soul told me that he was willing to die for you, I realized that I was wrong about him," Lord Death said, coming towards the two young men. "However, when I heard that, it was too late to stop my Reaper Chop," he added, his large white hand springing out.

Kid smiled as Soul pulled Kid closer to him, "Thank you, Father. I know I've made the right choice."

"Now, hold on, Kiddo. I still am very wary about this whole thing. As you can imagine, it is hard for a parent to understand; but, I still love you and trust you, so I'm going to let you do what makes you happy. However," he said, drawing the attention of the two boys, "should anything happen to Kid, then I won't so much as hesitate to turn that bruise into a fracture, do you understand, Soul?"

Soul smiled at the Grim Reaper, "Sir, you have my word: nothing will happen to your son so long as I am around," he said, turning to look at Kid.

"I'll take your word. Now then, you two may go." Just then, Kid ran up and embraced his father, who returned the gesture. "You're welcome, Kid. Now go on, back to class."

Kid stopped before they left the Death Room and turned towards his father, "By the way, father, what kinds of rumors did you hear?"

"That you were dating, and…other things," he replied, tilting his head to one side. Kid and Soul sighed, their faces showing frustration.

"Only that first one is true dad, trust me," Kid said, turning and leaving with Soul.

The two lovers held hands as they made their way back to class, not caring who saw them at this point. Everything had turned out for the better and in the midst of chaos had fallen into place, and when they entered the classroom, holding hands, they fell victim to the stares of all their classmates. The women in the room burst into a chorus of squeals and laughs of delight, while the men seemed not to care; that is, except for Black Star, who watched the scene unfold with shock, hidden under an expressionless face.

_Why are they holding hands? _Black Star thought.

"Where were you two?" Professor Stein asked, turning towards the two boys as his scalpel-wielding hand hovered over a specimen.

"We were in the Death Room; my father summoned us," Kid said.

"Fine, go ahead and take your seats," Stein said, turning back to his specimen with an evil grin, "you almost missed the fun part."

The two walked up the stairs and took their seats next to each other with the rest of their friends. Maka, Liz, Patty, and Tsubaki were all smiling, happy that whatever happened had apparently turned out well, while Black Star stared off into the distance, distraught. Noticing this, Soul pulled out a piece of paper and a pencil and wrote, _We need to talk to Black Star soon, he looks strange, _and slid the note over to Kid, who nodded.

When class had ended, the students filed out, some of them pointing towards Soul and Kid and whispering, but they didn't care. The group gathered just outside the classroom where Soul and Kid began to explain what had happened, and while all the women of the group were swooning over Kid and Soul's success with Lord Death, Black Star stood calmly and silently off to the side. Soul looked over at him, and then grabbed Kid's wrist and walked over to Black Star, who looked at him with a confused look.

"Black Star, we should talk."

* * *

><p>"I know this is all very strange to you, Black Star, but Kid and I are the same people, the same friends, as always," Soul said, taking a step towards Black Star, who had remained silent while Kid and Soul explained the situation.<p>

_I have to be happy for them. They are my friends, after all._

"Guys…or should I say ladies," Black Star said smiling, "I'm happy for you both, all right? It just took me by surprise, that was all."

The two were shocked. "Really?" Kid said, "Wow, Black Star, that's very…mature of you."

"You're surprised to see that the mighty Black Star is mature? Wow, you guys must not know me at all! YAHOO!" Black Star yelled, smirking and pointing towards the heavens in his usual gesture.

The two sighed in unison, "Yeah, sure thing Black Star…" they said in unison. Soul and Kid looked at each other, exchanging confused glances.

"Well, I'm glad you're taking it well," Kid said, leaning against Soul, "I guess if that's the case, then we'll see you later."

"Where are you guys going?" Black Star asked, beginning to follow them as they started to walk away. "Can I come? It's boring around here today."

"Well, actually," Soul said, scratching the back of his head, "Kid and I sorta have a date," he said, blushing slightly and turning towards Kid, who was smiling. "But we can hang out tomorrow; sound good?"

Black Star nodded, and turned to walk away. The two boys began walking back to Kid's mansion. "I think something's wrong with Black Star; he is not taking this at all like I thought he would," Soul said as the two walked hand in hand. "It's almost like he's upset about something, but I can't figure out what."

Kid leaned in and rested his head on Soul's shoulder, "Perhaps he's jealous," he said, smiling.

"What, Black Star? Of us?"

"I mean, I'd be jealous of whoever had you on their arm," Kid said, pushing himself closer to Soul, who easily gave in and wrapped his arms around the young Reaper. "You should talk to him sometime, if it's really bothering you."

"It's Black Star: if he has a problem, sooner or later he'll let us know in some grand way," Soul said, laughing to himself, pulling Kid close as they neared his mansion. "So, what did you have planned for tonight?" It was a relatively chilly Friday in mid-September, and a cool wind blew through the balding trees.

"Well, I have a special dinner planned, and then I figured that we would make it up as we go along," Kid said, smiling at his lover, whose face was once again a light pink. Kid opened the door to his mansion and the two stepped inside. Soul, much to the dismay of Kid, threw his bag haphazardly onto the sofa. "Are you staying over tonight, Soul?"

"Well, Maka and the girls are doing another girl's night at our apartment, so I figured why not?" He said, smiling and closing the door. Soul came up behind Kid and slid his hands down the front of his chest, causing Kid to sigh and grow weak in the legs. "I also might've asked Liz and Patty if you and I could get some privacy tonight," he said, grinning as he softly grabbed Kid's chin and pulled him into a kiss. Kid wanted Soul, right then and there, but hesitated, not sure if he was ready to actually do anything.

_If Liz and Patty are away, then we'll have all night to do this, anyway, _Kid thought.

"Well, I'm going to go ahead and start cooking; I'll let you know when it's ready. It shouldn't take too long," Kid said, sliding out of Soul's grip and putting his stuff down neatly in its preordained spot, then heading off into the kitchen. Soul smiled, kicked off his shoes, and grabbed his bag.

"I'm going to go take a quick shower; I'll be back down in a little bit," Soul said, heading upstairs to the bathroom. But before he did, he made a quick stop into Kid's room. He set his bag down on the floor and then walked over to the large dresser that sat dead center in the middle of the room, flanked on either side by armoires. He opened the top drawer carefully.

_Bingo, his underwear drawer. _Soul carefully picked up a pair of sleek black trunks with thin blue stripes running horizontally across it. Soul grinned evilly as he laid them over his shoulder and carefully slid the drawer closed. He walked over and pulled some pajama shorts and a loose black shirt, with his signature logo placed prominently on the back, out of his bag, then went across the hallway into the bathroom. He laid his clothes on the counter, placing Kid's trunks on top of them, and then proceeded to undress and prepare for his shower.

_If Kid and I get anywhere tonight, it'll be quite the surprise for him. _When he turned on the water, he could hear Kid's footsteps running into his room. _Just in time…. _The door closed. Soul shrugged his shoulders and stepped into the warm stream of water. _I guess he wanted to change or something._

The water washed over his tired body and he sighed, smiling to himself.

_Tonight is going to be very interesting._

* * *

><p>Soul took one last large bite of the meal that his lover had prepared for him, and sat back in the large chair, rubbing his stomach.<p>

Kid sat watching him and slowly eating his food. He had changed into Soul's shirt that he had given the young Reaper on their first night together. "Well, I guess you enjoyed it."

"It was delicious, Kid," Soul said, leaning over to kiss Kid on the cheek. "Thanks."

"You're welcome, Soul. So, now what?" Kid asked, eating the last bite of food on his plate.

Soul got up from the table and walked over to Kid, who stood up, collecting their plates and putting them in the sink. "Well, we could always watch another movie. I brought over one that should be pretty good."

"And what movie would that be?" Kid asked, leading Soul into the living room. Soul opened his bag and pulled out a DVD.

"It's called _Wicked Scary,_" Soul said, grinning evilly at Kid, who didn't look too excited to be watching a horror movie.

"But…I don't like horror movies."

"Oh, don't tell me that the Grim Reaper's son is afraid of a little scary movie, is he?" Soul said, walking over to the DVD player and inserting the disk.

Kid sat down hesitantly on the couch. "Well, okay…If that's what you want."

Soul sat down next to Kid and pulled him into his warm chest, who smiled up at the demon-faced angel. "Kid, I'll be right here the entire time, so don't worry," Soul said, pulling a blanket over them. "You know that so long as I'm here, you're perfectly safe."

The movie opened and the horror begun. As the movie progressed, Kid would watch with terror, drawn into the film, but at the same time, wanting to hide. A particularly scary scene flashed onto the screen with dramatic music playing, scaring Kid. He dropped down, wrapping his arms around Soul's lower torso and burying his face so that he couldn't see.

"Let me know when this part is over," Kid said as Soul placed a hand on his head.

"Okay, Kid, it's over," Soul said after a few moments.

Kid lifted his head and looked at the screen, only to be scared into shock again when he realized that Soul was lying.

"You asshole!" came his muffled cry. Soul laughed softly, putting his arms around Kid.

"I'm sorry, I just couldn't resist."

Kid turned his head so that he was still buried in Soul's warmth while at the same time he could see the T.V. Somehow, he felt safe, and was able to watch the rest of the flick right through to the gruesome end. As the credits began to flash onscreen, Soul reached over and turned on the lights.

"Well, did you enjoy that?" he asked, putting his arm back around Kid's body and looking down at the young Reaper curled up next to him. Kid simply smiled back. "All right, well how about I get us some drinks? I'm pretty thirsty."

Kid hesitantly released his lover, who got up and went into the kitchen, and sunk back into the cushions, lying on his back.

_I think tonight is finally the night. I want to show Soul how much I love him._

After a few minutes, Soul returned with two steaming cups of coffee. _We'll need the energy, _he thought as he handed Kid his mug. "Well, what now? I mean, it's only ten o'clock." Soul thought for a moment, "How about another movie?"

Kid shook his head, and then lay back against the side of Soul's body, who put his arm around his lover once more. "I just want to lay here with you for a while and relax. I want to forget about the world and just be here…with you." Soul smiled and kissed Kid on the forehead, and the two melded their bodies together as they relaxed on the sofa, sipping their coffee slowly.

"I'm really glad that things turned out the way they did today, especially considering what today is," Soul said.

"Yeah…wait, what is today?"

"You mean you don't remember?"

"Should I?" Kid asked nervously. Soul laughed, easing the young Reaper's nerves.

"Well, it's nothing too special, but we've made it two months to the day together, and I figured, for no particular reason," Soul said, grinning and reaching into a pocket on his bag that was lying on the floor, "that I would get you something." Soul held out his hand to Kid, and in it was a silver chain with a black key.

"It's a key," Kid said, taking it and studying it in the soft light.

"So that no matter what, no matter where you are, you will always have the key to my heart," Soul said, kissing Kid gently.

And then Kid began to laugh.

"Hey, what's so funny?"

"Nothing, it's just that that is the _gayest _thing I've ever heard," Kid said, his voice full of sarcasm. "Thank you, Soul; I'll keep it with me always." He placed the chain around his neck, and let the key hang. "Oh, it's even symmetrical!"

"Yeah, I made sure to pick one that was symmetric; otherwise I was afraid that you weren't going to wear it."

"Oh, Soul, no matter what it was, if it was a gift from you, I would wear it."

"Well then," Soul said, reaching inside his bag to grab something, but he couldn't find it. "What? Where is it?" Lifting the bag up onto his lap, he dug through its contents, but was unable to find what he was looking for. "Well, that's so uncool."

"What's wrong, Soul?"

"I had something else that I planned on giving you, but I can't find it. It has to be in here! I don't get it! I remember packing it!"

"Well, what was it? Maybe it fell out and it just got left somewhere. I hope it wasn't small."

Soul's face blanked. "Well, uh… If I tell you it will ruin the surprise," Soul said nervously, laughing slightly.

"Well, it's already a little ruined right now, don't you think? And besides, I won't mind," he said smiling. "Just tell me what it was."

_Oh, this is so embarrassing! What am I supposed to tell him? That I wanted him to wear my boxers in the hopes of making the sex I want to have more interesting?_

"Soul?" Kid said, stretching towards his lover and falling into his lap. Soul looked down at Kid, his eyes trailing down his body, until he found what he was looking for.

_He's already wearing them? Why, that little… Wait…this may make things easier._

"Hey Kid, stand up for a second in front of me," Soul said with a grin.

"Um…okay," Kid said hesitantly, standing up in front of Soul. Soul put ran his hands along the young Reaper's chest until he reached his waist.

"I think I found what I was looking for," he said, smirking, noticing Kid's flushed face. Soul lifted Kid's shirt up slightly, revealing the jet black waistband of his own underwear. He slid Kid's loose pants down a few inches, revealing a pair of red and orange striped boxers with Soul's logo on one side. Soul smirked, and then pulled his pants back up. "How did you know I was going to give those to you?"

"I…I didn't," Kid said, slightly confused. "I…Okay, I stole them from your bag while you were in the shower. I don't know why, I guess it's just some little kink of mine. I'm sorry, Soul."

Soul stood up and grabbed Kid's wrists, then pulled him into a passionate kiss. He guided Kid's hands along his chest then along the waist line of his pants, gesturing for Kid to start playing.

"Soul…are we sure about this?" Kid asked, breaking the kiss.

"I am if you are, Kid. I'll only go on if you let me. And if you ever want me to stop, just say so, okay?"

Kid smiled and locked his lips against Soul's once more, his hands now exploring Soul's body. Grabbing the bottom of Soul's shirt, Kid slid it off of him slowly, breaking the kiss to pull it over his head. Soul took this chance to slide Kid out of his shirt, as well, and then the two quickly wrapped their bodies together again, kissing each other heatedly. Kid ran his fingers through Soul's soft white hair, his heart beating faster and faster, knowing what was finally coming, and pulled away from Soul, opening his eyes and smiling.

"I'm ready."

Soul smiled and Kid dropped to his knees and began to undo Soul's pants, and when he pulled them down, he gasped.

"These are mine," he said, looking at Soul.

"Yeah, they are. I kinda had a plan for tonight that I would 'borrow' some of your boxers and let you use mine to—I don't know—liven things up a bit should all this happen," he said, gesturing at their current position.

Kid stood up and looked at him with an almost angry face, "Well, looks like we're even, then," he said, his expressions changing to one of amusement.

Soul smiled, placing his hand on Kid's head. "Now, where were we," Soul said, pushing Kid back down onto his knees. The roughness sent waves of excitement through the young Reaper's body. He pulled Soul's pants all the way off, and then marveled at the growing site before him. He nervously grabbed the waistband and began to pull them off, and nearly gasped aloud when Soul's member slid out of its cotton prison.

"Is this the first time you've seen one other than your own, Kid?" Soul asked mischievously.

"Yes," he said, his face a deep crimson. "Don't laugh; I don't have any idea what I'm doing."

Soul sat down on the sofa, bringing Kid forward with anticipation. "It's okay; neither do I."

"You mean you've never…"

"Nope. I've been waiting for the right person," Soul replied, leaning into the sofa.

Kid smiled, and then turned his attention back to Soul's pulsing length. Slowly, he wrapped his hand around it, feeling its hardness and warmth. Kid couldn't wait.

He lowered his head down and placed his lips on the tip, kissing it gently. Stroking the length, Soul shivered and let out a soft moan. Playfully, Kid flicked the head with his tongue, exploring the new territory, and when he did, Soul jerked back.

"Did I do something wrong?" Kid asked, confused and scared.

"No, it's just really sensitive," Soul said, embarrassed. "I don't ever really…pleasure myself that often, so, I'm sorry if I jerk around a bit."

Kid smiled and went back to work, this time sliding Soul's member into his mouth, little by little, controlling his gag reflex and beginning to suck, not entirely sure of what he was doing, but still enjoying every second of it; and from the sounds that Soul was making, he knew that his lover was as well.

Kid wrapped one hand around the shaft, pumping as he sucked, and let the other roam across Soul's skin, enticing chills from his body.

After several minutes, Soul began to breathe heavily, his groin tightening.

"Hey, Kid… I'm…so…close…" he huffed as his climax neared.

Kid stopped sucking, not sure what to do, his fist still pumping. "What should I do?"

"Keep sucking, please!" Soul said, tossing his head back.

"But what about when you…"

Kid was stopped mid-sentence when Soul came heavily on his lover's face. Kid could taste it in his mouth, which still hung slightly open. Not hesitating a moment longer, he put his lips back over the head and sucked greedily, causing Soul to moan and grab Kid's hair. When Soul finished, he let go of Kid who began to clean off his face, smiling up at Soul, who was panting heavily with half-opened eyes, his body drained for the moment.

"You taste good, Soul," Kid said devilishly.

_Who knew this prim and proper guy was so kinky? _Soul thought to himself as he felt Kid's tongue licking up all that he could around the base of his length. Soul caught his breath and stood up, smiling at Kid. "Damn, Kid, that was awesome." Kid stood up and slid the coffee table out of the way, not even caring that it was now no longer symmetric with the rest of the room.

"My turn, Soul, and this time you get to do some work," Kid said, pulling off his pants and sliding down his lover's boxers just enough to reveal his ass.

"Are you really ready for this, Kid?"

Kid replied by reaching up and kissing Soul, delving his tongue into the moist cavern and fighting with Soul's tongue, exploring each other's mouths before leaning back.

Soul reached into his bag and pulled out a small bottle of lube that Liz had jokingly given him a couple weeks earlier apparently as a gag gift.

_She probably knew that this was going to happen sooner or later._

Soul poured some of the lube into his hand and rubbed it on his hardening shaft, and then coated his fingers. "Ok, Kid, here we go," Soul said as he rubbed some lube on his hole, then slowly slid in one finger. It didn't hurt Kid like he thought it would, and Soul slowly began to slide his finger in and out, flexing it to prepare Kid so that he wouldn't get hurt. He then slid in a second finger, which caused a brief pain to shoot up Kid's spine before quickly subsiding into pleasure. When soul flexed these two fingers, however, Kid couldn't help but let out a small cry.

"Is everything okay? Do you want me to stop?"

Kid looked down at his lover, smiling, "Please no…. I want you…to fuck me."

Soul couldn't resist, and continued to work on Kid's hole while he decided to try sucking his lover. He grabbed Kid's shaft (which was about the same size as his own, even though Kid's slim physique would've suggested otherwise) and slowly began to suck, starting soft and slow, and then speeding up, matching the motion of his head with the pumping of his hand at Kid's hole. Finally, Soul stopped and adjusted himself, resting his knees on the edge of the sofa and positioning his moistened shaft at Kid's entrance. Looking at his lover, who was staring back at him, transfixed by the pleasure, he smiled, and slowly slid in his length.

"Ah! Soul!" Kid yelled as the large shaft began to slide in. "Dammit! It's bigger than I thought!"

Soul laughed to himself, then leaned down to kiss his lover, "It'll be fine, I won't hurt you. We'll take it easy at first."

Soul continued to push in, slowly, so as to not cause his lover too much pain.

"Oh, Soul… It hurts… but please don't stop…" Kid said, reaching and grabbing Soul's waist, steadying him as his entire length finally made it in.

Soul let Kid get used to his length inside of him before looking down at his lover and leaning in on him, pressing his member into Kid's groin. "And now," he said, mischievously, "the real fun begins."

Soul pulled his shaft out and then eased it back in, slowly building up his speed, the springs in the sofa creaking softly. Tossing and turning, Kid let out a series of small moans as shockwaves of pleasure rippled through his slim body. All the pain had dissolved into a hot ecstasy that overtook him, and he watched Soul's strong body move beautifully with his thrusts. Soul pulled out one last time, and then roughly slammed his length back in, pressing hard against Kid.

"Oh, _yes!_" Kid yelled.

"Found it," Soul said, grinning.

Kid breathed softly, "Found what?"

Soul's reply was another hard thrust to that same spot, causing the young Reaper to moan again as Soul's tempo began to pick up. He pounded Kid, enticing moans of pure joy from his lover. Stopping for a moment, Soul pulled his length out, repositioning the two of them as he prepared for another round. Kid lie on his back on the couch, and Soul was on his knees on the cushion next to Kid. He pulled Kid over and slid his member back in, this time with much more ease, and began thrusting again while stroking Kid's shaft, causing the young Reaper to moan and groan and toss from side to side.

"Oh, Soul! Damn it feels so good!"

"Fuck yeah, Kid!"

Soul continued to thrust into his lover, when he felt Kid's member tense and pulse in his hand.

_He's close…_

Kid gripped the fabric of the cushion tightly as he came into his lover's hand, moaning in pure ecstasy as he did, the hot liquid running down Soul's hand.

Soul smiled and kept pumping, building to his own climax. Kid lifted his body up and wrapped his arms around Soul as he thrust into Kid.

"Kid…should I…when I…What should I do?" Soul said, trying to formulate his words as he felt his groin tense.

"Don't stop," was Kid's reply.

At last, Soul couldn't control it, and he came. Kid felt the warmth of his lover flow into him, and the two let out deep moans as they rode out the climax. Collapsing forward, the two panted heavily as Soul's sweaty body landed on Kid, his length slowly sliding out. The two tried to catch their breath for several minutes, kissing each other passionately whenever they could get the chance. Soul remembered that they were still wearing each other's underwear.

_I thought that wearing each other's boxers would make things kinkier, _he thought, looking at Kid's red face, a large smile adorning it. _Obviously we didn't need it._

The two lay there until they had calmed down, and then Soul sat up, removing his underwear and sliding Kid's off as well. "C'mon, how about we go take a shower? After all this, I definitely need some cleaning up."

Kid smiled as Soul gently pulled Kid onto his feet, gathering their clothes and heading upstairs to the bathroom. Soul turned on the water, steam slowly filling the room, and then turned around to face Kid.

"So...how did I do?" Soul asked awkwardly.

Kid wrapped his arms around Soul and kissed him, then pulled his head back. "That was the most amazing thing I have ever experienced in my entire life." Kid hugged his lover, nuzzling his head into his slick-with-sweat neck. "Thank you." Soul wrapped his arms around Kid and pulled him in tighter, and then the two stepped into the shower.

* * *

><p>It was nearly two in the morning when Soul and Kid decided to go to bed. They headed back down to the living room, once again grabbing Kid's blankets and pillows from his bed. Walking back into the living room, they made their bed on the couch and then climbed in. Soul lie down first, pulling Kid along with him as they wrapped themselves in each other's arms and the soft blankets. They were each wearing the other's boxers, and within moments they had drifted off into a sound sleep.<p>

* * *

><p>Black Star sat alone in his room, staring out of the window into the darkness of the night. He knew he couldn't sleep, especially now that he knew why Kid and Soul had been behaving like they had over the past couple of months. It was all quite a shock to him.<p>

_It's not the fact that Kid and Soul are together that bothers me. They're my friends, and I have to be happy with who they are. What bothers me is the fact that I'm supposed to be the one out there with Soul tonight, not Kid. _

Black Star had called Tsubaki, wondering where she was, and when she said that she would be staying at Maka's again, he asked if Soul was there.

"_He's staying over at Kid's tonight. Apparently they're having a date or something." _

_A date. I know what they're up to over there, all alone._

_How could they? No, how could he? After everything I had done for him. And just when I started to see Soul acting gay, I thought that I might actually have a chance; but no, Kid had to step in and ruin it. I've waited too long for this, and Kid just met him a few months ago. It's not fair! _

"How _dare _he take Soul away from me, Black Star, and not expect me not to do anything!" he yelled into the heavens. "He is going to be mine."

* * *

><p>Kid opened his eyes slowly, adjusting to the morning light. The first thing he saw was Soul's peaceful face underneath him. Slowly, he got up, trying not to disturb his sleeping lover, and looked over at the clock on the wall. It was almost ten thirty. Suddenly, a square of yellow caught his eye. It was a note on the coffee table, and next to it was a large bottle of lube. Kid blushed, wondering who it could be from, and took the note.<p>

"_We knew that lube would come in handy, and just to be sure you don't run out, here's some more! Love Maka, Liz, Patty, and Tsubaki."_

"They _knew!_" Kid yelled, waking his lover, who looked over to see what the commotion was about. Seeing the large bottle of lube and the note in Maka's handwriting, he began to laugh.

"Those bastards! They _knew?_" Kid yelled again.

Soul reached up and pulled Kid back down into his chest, still laughing. "They know us so well," he said, wrapping his arms around Kid, who was still fuming at the perverted note. Soul stroked the side of Kid's face, calming him. Reaching up, Kid gently gripped Soul's chin, bringing the young scythe's lips down onto his own.

"Yeah, I guess they do," Kid replied, closing his eyes as his lover cradled him, unable to stay upset while immersed in Soul's protective hold, a feeling that he never wanted to go away.


	4. The Third Movement: Appassionato

**Falling In**

**Third Movement**

**Appassionato**

Black Star had a plan.

_And a damn good one, if I do say so myself. But, I am the great and mighty Black Star! Good plans are my specialty! _

He was on his way to Soul's house to hang out, as was promised the day before. He had a good feeling that Kid wasn't there, either, because apparently he and the girls were going shopping, as Tsubaki told him this morning; and, as she explained further, according to Liz and Patty, he was quite a shopaholic. Rounding the corner, he saw Soul and Maka's apartment. He walked up, controlling his nerves, and knocked on the door.

"Yeah, I'm coming," Soul yelled. He unlocked and opened the door, smiling when he saw his friend. "Hey, Black Star, c'mon in!" he said, as they high-fived each other in their usual fashion. The two walked in and sat down on the sofa.

"So, I got the new Robot Zombies from the Future game, you ready to kill some zombies?" Soul said, pulling out the new game and waving it in front of his friend's face.

"You bet! You ready to be crushed by the mighty Black Star and his superior game-playing skills?"

"You're on!" Soul replied, going over to the console, inserting the disk, and grabbing the controllers. Sitting back down, he handed a controller to Black Star and smirked as the opening scenes played. "And so the Zombie Apocalypse begins!"

The two played for four mind-numbing hours, until the robot zombie hoards had been repelled, and then stopped for a break, after which the onslaught of comradely name-calling and skill dissing would resume.

"I'm going to run to the bathroom," Soul said, standing up and stretching, his spine popping. "Feel free to help yourself to anything in the fridge."

Black Star nodded and got up to grab a soda. He sat back down, knowing that now was the perfect time to put his plan into action.

_I'm going to seduce Soul. When I'm done, he won't want to settle for lame-o Kid. And this time Kid will be the one who's jealous!_

He popped open the lid to his drink and took a long gulp, steadying himself. He knew what he had to do and, as a warrior, that it had to be done; however, that didn't deter the fact that he was still more nervous—and excited—than he had ever been.

Soul returned and sat down next to Black Star. "Right, let's get it on!" he said enthusiastically, picking up a controller. Black Star put his hand on the controller, pushing it away. He looked up at his confused friend, and finally found the courage to speak.

"Soul, I want to talk to you. About you and Kid."

"Oh, okay," Soul replied, turning towards Black Star. "Well, what did you want to know?"

"I'm still just a little iffy on the whole thing. I mean, it's hard to believe that someone as cool and manly as you would be into guys."

"I guess the truth is that I'm not really into anyone. I just…love Kid. It's not that I like guys over girls or girls over guys, I just love _him_," Soul said honestly, his face a light red.

"Oh… I see. Well, have you ever felt anything for anyone else before? Like Maka?"

"Ha, that flat-chested shrew? Yeah, right," he said laughing to himself. "You know, I thought she liked me once, but after we talked, I realized that I was just paranoid. But, no, I don't think I've ever felt anything for another person before. Why?"

"Oh, I'm just wondering."

The two sat in silence for a few moments, and Soul could sense the tension in the air around Black Star.

"Something's wrong, isn't it Black Star?" Soul said as Black Star looked up at him. "What is it?"

"It's nothing, really," he said, his heart pounding.

"Then why is your face red? And why are you nervous?"

"You can tell?"

Soul nodded, putting his hand on his friend's shoulder. "What's wrong? You can tell me anything, you know."

Black Star made his move, pushing himself onto Soul, forcing him on his back and straddling him. Soul squirmed, confused, underneath as Black Star tightly gripped his wrists. The young assassin then lowered his face and planted his rough lips awkwardly on Soul's, who jerked and twisted, trying to break free of Black Star's fierce grip. Finally, Black Star broke the kiss, still holding onto Soul.

"You idiot, what are you doing?" Soul said, shocked and angry that he was being taken advantage of by his friend.

"Kid can't have you. You're mine, Soul," he replied, grinning evilly, "and you're going to be mine forever." Soul's eyes widened and Black Star used one hand to secure both of Soul's above his head while pulling off his shirt with the other one, ripping at the fabric. Black Star slid off his own shirt, pressing his hard body against Soul's, grinding their groins together. Soul protested, yelling and squirming, trying to break Black Star's grip, but couldn't.

"Black Star, I'm the top! The hell am I gonna get my ass nailed any time soon! Now _get the hell off of me!_" Soul yelled, trying to pull free, but Black Star didn't listen. Instead, he put his lips over Soul's again, kissing him passionately, trying to force his tongue into Soul's mouth. Black Star's free hand roamed down Soul's chest and under his waistline, grabbing his limp member and stroking it.

Just then, the door to the apartment opened, and in walked their friends, who froze in shock at the sight before them. Kid stepped in, dropping all of his things when he saw his lover apparently giving himself up to Black Star.

Black Star knew they had entered, but didn't break the kiss, and continued to hold Soul still.

_I have to make sure Kid gets a nice long look._

Kid turned and ran out the door, Soul's scared and angry eyes watching as he did. Finally, he was able to painfully slide his wrist out of the grip and punched Black Star hard in the side of the face, knocking the unsuspecting warrior off. Soul pushed him away completely and jumped off the couch, fixing his pants and running towards the door. He looked outside: Kid was gone.

"Now just what in the hell is going on here?" Maka asked, grabbing Soul's shoulder and spinning him around.

"Please, Maka, this wasn't my fault. It's not how it looks, okay? Black Star, he…"

"Oh, you mean it doesn't look like you and Black Star were trying to get it on while we were out, huh? While your _boyfriend _was away, huh?" Liz added, her hands on her hips.

"No! Black Star pinned me down, we were playing a game, and then he started talking to me about my relationship with Kid, and then tackled me! I tried to break free, I promise!" he answered in a rushed tone.

"Oh really? Prove it!" Maka asked. Soul held out his wrists, which had been bruised severely during his struggle. Maka frowned and touched them softly, then looked over at Black Star, who was getting up, wiping the saliva off of his grinning mouth.

"Now, wasn't that much more exciting than Kid, Soul?" Black Star said, fixing his pants. "Too bad we didn't get to the good…"

He was silenced as Maka's book smacked him heavily against the skull. He fell onto the sofa, seeing stars. "How _dare _you do that?" She yelled at him; but, because she had hit him so hard, he didn't respond.

"I'm going to find Kid, okay? You guys stay here and see what in the hell he just thought was going to happen."

Liz nodded, noticing two other bruises on Soul's chest where Black Star had held him down. Soul slipped on his coat and ran outside, closing the door loudly behind him.

Tsubaki was kneeling next to her Meister, troubled and upset. "Black Star, why would you do that?" she asked as he began to get ahold of what few wits he had.

"Because… Soul is supposed to be mine. I've chased after him since the moment I met him, and all of the sudden Kid steps in and fucks everything up."

"No, you messed everything up, Black Star. Kid and Soul are happy, and if you really cared about Soul, you would be happy for him, too. I never knew that you liked Soul, but obviously you didn't care for him as much as Kid did because you never made a move!" Tsubaki yelled at him, raising her voice for the first time since the two had met. Black Star was shocked, and grabbed his head, thinking about what she had said. "And if you still care about him," she added, putting her hand on Black Star's chest, "then you would go help him get his lover and his friend back."

Black Star sunk into the couch and stared at the ceiling, thinking about what his next move should be.

_Do I let him go and help him? Or do I keep trying to get him back?_

* * *

><p>"Kid, are you here?" Soul yelled as he opened the door to the mansion. He ran inside and up the stairs to Kid's room, which was dark and empty. He scoured the entire house, looking for Kid, but he wasn't there. He left the mansion and ran as fast as he could to the academy, looking everywhere he could for his distraught lover; but, no matter where he looked, he couldn't find Kid.<p>

Soul ran as fast as he could back to his apartment, hoping that perhaps he had showed up there while he was gone, but when he arrived, he only saw the girls gathered around, talking to Black Star.

But there was something different about Black Star. Soul entered and closed the door, looking down at his friend: he was crying and sobbing heavily. He was curled up on the floor, surrounded by the girls as they tried to comfort him and get him to talk.

"Is he okay?" Soul asked, having never before seen Black Star cry.

"He should be. He's had some serious problems with you, Soul. I think you need to talk to him about it," Maka said, standing up.

The girls followed her lead and left the two in the living room, while Black Star slowly began to calm down. When the girls had left, Soul sat down next to him on the floor.

"Soul," Black Star whispered, "I...I'd always chased after you, and I guess the reason I never did anything more than that was because I was afraid." He wiped his face on his sleeve, and then looked at his friend. "I feel like such a wuss talking about this," he said, trying to smile.

"It's okay, Black Star. It's what needs to be done."

Black Star nodded, "I talked with the girls. They told me that I didn't actually love you, and that what I only wanted was sex." Soul's face flushed. "I guess they were right, but it still hurts. I've wanted you for so long, and now I know that I can't ever have you."

"Black Star, you've been my friend for a long time now. You've had me all this time! Look, I'm not going to have sex with you. I'm sorry, but I'm the top, so I'm not looking to take Kid's place anytime soon," Soul said, smirking to hide his embarrassment. "But still, I'm not going anywhere. I'm still your friend; and while, yes, I'm pissed at what you did, I know completely how you feel, and I can't get mad at you for something as simple as jealousy."

"I'm really sorry, Soul. When you find Kid, I want to apologize to him."

"Well, I'm sure he'll accept your apology. I do," Soul said, placing his arm on Black Star's shoulder, reassuring him. Black Star smiled, and for the first time in his life, gave someone else a hug. "You know, Black Star, you really are mature."

"Yeah, I know; but it's so embarrassing," he replied, letting go of Soul. "Don't expect me to be such a wuss anytime soon, got it?" he said, wiping his face.

Soul chuckled, "Yeah, I got it." They stood up, when Soul thought about something. "Hey, Black Star, so does this mean you're gay, too?"

"Nah, I still like girls," he said, smiling. "Imagine all of the fun I get to have!" he shouted, getting a nervous laugh out of Soul.

"Yeah..." Soul shook his head, "Ladies, come on; we need to find Kid!"

The group searched everywhere, checking every part of the city. The moon laughed at them as they ran out of places to look. The academy was closed, and Kid's house was still empty. The streets were quite, and he wasn't in a single shop they checked.

"I guess the last place is the park," Soul said. "Unless he's run off, he's got to be there, so c'mon!" he said, running off towards the park with the others trailing him.

They wandered through the park, past the basketball court they frequented so often, and into the woods. There, alone on a park bench under a dim light, was Kid, sitting calmly and facing away.

"Kid!" Soul shouted, running towards him. "Kid, you have to listen to me, this is just one big misunderstanding, okay?" Soul said, panting softly as he stood next to Kid, who was looking down at the leaves scattered around his feet.

What happened next was a blur for Soul.

He saw Black Star run past him, and then heard a loud crack. Soul turned to see Black Star lying on the ground, a slight stream of blood trickling down his forehead.

"Black Star!" Tsubaki yelled, running over to him and dropping to her knees by his side.

"Lord Death, please stop!" Maka said, running over and getting between him and Soul. "This is all a big mistake, please don't hurt anyone else!"

"But, you hurt my Kiddo! Right after you promised that you wouldn't! And you know the consequences," the Grim Reaper said angrily, his hand still ready to strike.

"I know, and I understand that," Soul said, turning towards Kid, placing his warm hand on the young Reaper's face. "That's why I would never hurt him. It's not that I don't want to get my skull fractured, it's because...I don't want to see Kid hurt."

Kid looked up at Soul, not sure what to do. _I thought that I had been cheated on, but it seems like everyone is saying otherwise._

"Lord Death," Black Star said weakly, forcing himself up on his feet. "Please, listen to me. What I did was stupid. I was trying to make a move on Soul and make Kid jealous, but I didn't realize how stupid that was until after I saw how Kid and Soul reacted. Everything that happened...it's all my fault. I deserved that smack on the head. Soul didn't. So please, don't be upset."

Lord Death was silent.

"Soul, is this true?" Kid asked, grabbing Soul's shirt and pulling him closer.

Soul nodded, and then held out his wrists. The bruises had darkened. "Trust me Kid; I didn't want that to happen."

Kid studied the bruises, and realized that he was telling the truth. Pulling Soul down, he embraced him, and then looked over at Black Star, whose head was bowed, the streak of blood drying on his forehead. Kid got up and walked over to Black Star, who looked up at him.

"Kid, I'm so sorry. Please, forgive me. I messed up, and I won't ever do anything like it again."

Kid studied Black Star's face, and then curled his hand into a fist and socked him in the gut, knocking him to his knees.

"Thank you, I'm glad you've forgiven me," Black Star said weakly, the wind knocked from his lungs. Kid returned to his seat.

Kid nodded and turned towards his father. "I'm sorry for worrying you, Father."

Lord Death turned towards Soul and smacked him on the back of the head.

"Hey, what was that for?" he cried, nursing his skull.

"Be more careful next time, Soul," Lord Death replied, and walked into the shadows.

Soul grunted, "Yeah, okay." Soul looked at Kid, who was laughing quietly. _Someone seems happy to see me getting hurt... _Soul sat down on the bench next to his lover and placed his arm around him. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. I'm glad this was just one big misunderstanding. It really had me worried."

"Kid, I would never do that to you; you know that," Soul said, kissing him softly on the cheek.

Tsubaki helped Black Star up, who walked over to Soul and Kid and collapsed onto them, putting his arms around them in a weak embrace. "I'm...happy for you guys. I really am."

Kid and Soul returned the gesture and helped him back up to his feet as Tsubaki steadied him. "Don't worry, Black Star, you'll find someone," Soul said, looking at Tsubaki, whose face tinged a light pink when she caught Soul's eyes. "Come on, guys, let's go home now," Soul said, standing up with his arm around Kid's waist. Tsubaki took Black Star back to their apartment to clean up the small wound on his face, and Liz and Patty headed for the mansion, with Kid attempting to break free of Soul's grasp and follow them. Soul held him tighter, "Nope, you're coming with me, tonight," he said, smirking. Kid blushed and happily gave in.

Maka noticed this exchange, and turned to face them. "Wait, you guys aren't seriously thinking about doing _that _at _our _place while _I'm _home, right?"

Soul laughed, and shook his head. "But if you hear any moaning, it's my fault," Soul added jokingly, causing Kid and Maka to twitch and blush at the thought.

When they arrived at the apartment, it was nearing three in the morning. Maka, the energy completely drained from her body, said goodnight and made her way to her room. Soul and Kid followed soon after, going into Soul's room.

"I'm glad to see that you've been able to keep your room clean, Soul," Kid said, knowing that the only reason Soul's room was clean at all was because he had made Soul clean it.

Soul smirked and began to remove his clothes, sliding out of them slowly, as if to tease his lover. Kid also began to undress, the soft blankets beckoning to him. Pulling back the covers, Soul motioned for Kid to join him, who playfully leapt into the bed, nuzzling into Soul's chest, the warm blankets falling around him as Soul's hands snaked up his back and rested on his shoulders. He smiled, knowing that he wouldn't ever have to worry about Soul being unfaithful.

"Soul, I'm sorry for running away and getting my dad. I was just so upset and hurt; I wasn't thinking right. I thought that, since we had had sex, you didn't need me anymore and you had moved on to someone else."

"No, of course not! Kid, I would never do that; I'm not _that _shallow," he said jokingly. "Still, you had a right to be upset. I mean, I would've been pissed, too, if I saw you with another guy like that," Soul said, massaging his sore wrists gently. "But, it's all over now. It's just a memory; a lesson, really."

Kid looked up at Soul and smiled, nodding slowly. He pulled himself up and planted his lips on Soul's, pushing him gently into his pillow. Breaking the kiss, he fell gently back into his lover's protecting hold. "Yeah, it is."

"I won't ever leave you, I promise. I love you, Kid."

"I love you, too."

The two lovers wrapped each other in their warmth, and their tired bodies succumbed to sleep.

The next morning, Soul opened his eyes slowly, the golden rays of dawn sneaking in through the openings between his curtains. He ran his hand along the bed, looking for Kid, but he wasn't there. Soul sat up and looked around: Kid's clothes were folded neatly on the dresser, and the door was slightly open. Soul smiled and slipped out of bed, putting on a pair of shorts. He walked downstairs to see Kid and Maka sitting on the couch, sipping coffee and talking quietly. They didn't notice Soul as he tread silently down the carpeted stairs, walking slowly over to the couch. He put his head behind Kid's, and then quickly ran his hands down Kid's sides, causing him to jerk and almost spill his coffee.

"Gah!" Kid said, turning his head. He laughed softly, "Good morning, Soul," he said, kissing his boyfriend on the cheek. "It's about time you woke up; we thought you were just going to sleep the whole day away." Soul smiled, hoisting himself over the back of the couch and squeezing himself between Kid and Maka.

"Well, what do you guys want to do today?" Soul asked, putting his arm around Kid.

"I don't know," Kid said, shrugging. "Maka, do you have any ideas?"

"Hmm, not a clue. I think I might go over and see Tsubaki and Black Star, however, just to see if they're doing okay after last night; especially Black Star."

"Well, then, looks like we can do pretty much whatever we want, Kid," Soul said. "We'll have the apartment to ourselves," he continued, winking.

Kid was flustered, his face red, as Maka looked at the two and laughed. "You guys are so predictable at this point," she said. "Just don't make a mess," she said, standing up and walking into the kitchen.

Kid muttered something about the ordeal to Soul, but he ignored it, knowing that Kid had been thinking the same thing when Maka told them she was leaving.

"Actually, Kid, how about we go out for a little bit? It's a beautiful day, why not do something fun?" Soul said, stretching himself out on the couch, placing his feet where Maka was sitting and laying back on Kid's lap. Kid ran his hand along Soul's bare chest, passing over the small bruises on his chest.

"Well, what did you have in mind?" Kid asked.

"Oh, you'll see."

* * *

><p>Kid and Soul walked slowly through Death City, holding hands and ignoring the looks that they received as they passed both confused men and romantic women. Kid still didn't know where Soul was taking him, and was anxious to find out.<p>

"Here we are," Soul said, stopping in front of an old building situated on the edge of Death City.

"What is it?"

"Just follow me," Soul said, walking inside. He greeted the owner of the building, who knew him by name. It was a music store: all kinds of instruments adorned the walls from every corner of the Earth. Many of them Kid couldn't recognize. He wanted to ask Soul what they were, but Soul just continued pulling him towards a dimly lit staircase. They walked up and entered a large room on the second story of the building. It was dark and silent, and the air was cool yet stale. Reaching over, Soul flicked a switch, and several spotlights that hung from the ceiling came to life.

"Soul, this is beautiful!" Kid said, admiring the sight: the room consisted of a large stage made of dark oak wood and adorned with intricate carvings. Thick, rolling red velvet curtains trimmed out the glowing stage, which looked out into a conglomeration of chairs and tables. All of the chairs had been placed on the tables while they weren't in use. Soul pulled Kid gently over to one of the tables in the front, taking down the chairs. Walking over to a closet, he removed a white tablecloth, a candle, and a box of matches. He returned and dressed the table, lighting the candle and placing it in the center. Pulling out a chair, he motioned for Kid to sit down, who took the seat, waiting to see what was going to happen.

Soul stepped onto the stage and walked behind the second set of curtains which had been drawn. They opened slowly, revealing a sparkling jet black grand piano.

"I come here to play sometimes," Soul said, stepping in front of the piano, "since we don't have a piano at the apartment. It's always empty during the day, and the owner says he doesn't mind. I used to come here every day and play when I first started going to the Academy, but over time, I stopped. Now," he said, opening the case to reveal a set a gleaming ivory keys, "I feel the urge to play every time I'm around you." Soul smiled, looking at Kid who was marveling at him from the audience. "Over the past couple of months, I've been coming here and rewriting my Soul Song, the song I played for you the night we...confessed our love. It used to be dark and frightening, and it used to make me cry; now, every time I play it I'm happy, and it's because of you, Kid."

Kid smiled, sitting back in his chair. "Well, play it for me," he said, waiting.

Soul smiled and held up a finger, gesturing for Kid to wait. He walked off stage and then returned a few moments later wearing his black and red pinstripe suit, the sleek outfit outlining his physique and captivating Kid.

_Wow, he really is beautiful... _Kid thought as he stared at Soul.

Soul sat down at the bench and cracked his fingers, and then let loose. The song began with a soft, light tune; Soul's fingers drifted across the keys, tickling them softly. Slowly, Soul worked his way down the octaves, until he was beating out a deep, rhythmic tune. Kid could feel the vibrations from the strings going through his body, resonating within him. Soul worked towards the climax, the tune becoming more dramatic, until Soul struck the crescendo: a chord that reverberated through the room; unlike before, the chord wasn't a clash of keys reflecting a torn soul. It was strong and fulfilling. Kid felt a sensation that made him get chills all over his body, while at the same time surrounding him with peace. Soul let the chord ring for a few moments more before finishing the song, as soft and calm as he had begun it.

Kid stood up and began to clap, walking onstage towards a smiling Soul and wrapped his arms around him, pulling him in as close as possible. Returning the gesture, Soul reached up and embraced his lover, locking them together for several moments of silence.

"Soul, no matter what song your heart plays, I'll always enjoy it. No matter what you do, I will love you."

Soul gripped Kid closer, inhaling his scent and burying himself in the warmth. Kid felt Soul nodding against his chest, who pulled Kid down on kissed him passionately before looking into his lover's golden eyes that had captured him from the very beginning. He was crying; only, this time, it was not out of sadness and loneliness: it was because never before had he felt so content and happy.

"Soul, keep playing. Play your heart for me," Kid said, standing up and walking back to his seat. Soul smiled and wiped the tears from his eyes, and placed his fingers above the keys. He felt all of the emotions of his soul flowing into his hands, and when he touched the keys, the piano came alive and entranced his lover, who sat and understood and felt every note, every chord, and every emotion.

* * *

><p>Soul unlocked the door to his apartment, Kid at his side. They walked in and sat down next to each other on the sofa. Soul looked at his fingers: they were red and sore, but he knew that it was well worth it.<p>

"I've never played that hard before in my life," Soul said, pulling Kid into his side as he wrapped his arm around Kid's shoulders.

"It was the most amazing thing I had ever heard, Soul. You are astounding."

"Thanks, Kid," Soul said, still studying his hand. "That didn't do anything good for my wrists, though."

"Let me see," Kid said, gently taking Soul's hand. The bruises were still clearly visible from the day before. "Black Star is strong, isn't he?"

"You can say that again...I couldn't break free until he got distracted by everyone walking in. He had me pinned down with one hand."

Kid smiled at Soul, massaging the palm of his hand. "I'm glad this is all he did, though." Kid looked back down, imagining what the ordeal must have been like for Soul, when a captivating idea lodged itself in his head.

"Hey, Soul?" Kid said, smiling mischievously, "What exactly did Black Star do to you?"

Soul smirked, "Oh, you want me to show you?" Kid nodded. "Why don't you come up to my room, it'll be easier to explain up there," Soul said, standing up and grabbing Kid's hand, pulling him up the stairs. They ran into Soul's room and closed the door, and Kid stopped and turned to lock it.

"Why did you do that? We're here alone, so it doesn't matter."

"Last time we thought we were alone, they still spied on us," Kid said, referencing the girls' last ploy with the lube.

Soul smirked and grabbed Kid, pushing him onto the bed, smiling at the young Reaper underneath him. "Now, first, he started by doing this..."

* * *

><p><em>I fell in. I was surrounded, helpless, and hopeless. I couldn't find the surface, and part of me didn't even want to. At first it seemed like I had given up, but then I realized it was because I didn't have to get out. I thought that I would drown there, but in the end, I realized that that was exactly where I needed and wanted to be. I fell in, drowned, and the came back to life as someone new. I'm still me, but I'm different. Ever since I was caught by Kid's gleaming eyes, I was different. And the best part is...<em>

"Soul, hurry up, we're going to be late to class!" Maka yelled upstairs, urging Soul.

"Yeah, yeah, just another minute; we won't be late!" Soul replied, going back to his journal.

_And the best part is that I've become the person I've always wanted to be. I never knew that this was how it would all end up, but I know one thing for sure: I don't want to take it back for anything. I..._

Soul's cell phone buzzed in his pocket. He pulled it out and read the text message: _Maka told me to tell you to hurry up. I'm just a middle man here, so... _

Soul smirked, "I guess for him, I have to go." He looked at his journal and set the pen down on the page. "It can wait," he said, standing up. He grabbed his book bag and ran down the stairs, where Maka was waiting.

"Jeez, Soul, what took you so long?"

Soul smiled, "Nothing."

Maka shrugged in frustration, "Whatever, c'mon, we gotta go! We're going to be late!"

"No we're not, Maka. Calm down," Soul said, following her out the door and locking it behind him.

_Things are finally turning out my way, for once. Well, I guess that's not entirely true. _Soul and Maka caught up with Liz, Patty, and Kid on the corner of their street. Soul smiled at Kid as he approached him, giving him a soft kiss on the lips. _It's turning out our way. _He gripped Kid's hand, and pulled him close. _Looks like I'm never getting out; I've fallen too deep into love._


End file.
